The Standard category is for general-purpose audio encoding. The Professional category is for encoding multi-channel or high-definition audio. The Lossless category is for compressing audio without losing any of the original data.

The Windows Media Video 9 category is for general-purpose video encoding. The Advanced Profile category is for encoding high-definition video or video that conforms to the VC-1 Advanced Profile SMPTE standard. The Image category is for converting bitmap images to dynamic video.